Rear-axle structure for motor-vehicles



E. L. KRAFT. REAR AXLE STRUCTURE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1920- 1 2y 9 1 n 2 m m m A M S lV/ 7//// m 3 vw W //////m I? A n. W MHWW Q ml 1 a Q N N 1 b N N w aw vi E. L. KRAFT.

REAR AXLE STRUCTURE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29. 1920.

1,38t'5,510. I Pa en edAug. 2,1921.

3SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

moo/whoa E. L. KRAFT.

REAR AXLE STRUCTURE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES,

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, I920.

Patented A11 2, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' with the usual worm 0.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD L. KRAFT, OF'YORK PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALLEN R.

COSGROVE, YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

REAR-AXLE STRUCTURE FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. KRAFT, a citizen of'the United States of America, and a resident of York, county of York, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rear-Axle Structures for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a full and clear specification.

This invention has relation to that class of rear-axle driving mechanism which embodies a worm driven by the engine, a divided axle, and a differential planetary gearing arrangement; and one obj ect of the oresent invention is to simplify and improve the anti-friction bearing supports for-the worm shaft as well as of the worm-gear, the arrangement being such that these bearin supports may be cast integral and will be accurately alined as well as spaced with reference to each other, as more fully hereinafter set forth. A further object is to so arrange the bearings of the worm as well as the worm-gear with respect to a removable gear-case cover that the gears may be not only readily inspected but also may be readily removed from the casing for'cleaning and repairing, as more fully hereinafter set forth. Further objects of my invention will appear in the course of this specification.

In the drawings' Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the axle-housing and the gearing;

Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sections onthe lines 2 and 3 respectively of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is'a horizontal'section on the line 47- 1 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 isa vertical sectional View in detail of the gear-casing and worm-housing;

Fig. 6. is a transverse sectional view through the gear-casing, the differential planetary gears being shown partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation.

The two axle sections a have each aflixed to its inner end the usual bevel-gear b, which gears mesh with the bevel planetary gears 0 arried by the worm-gear d which meshes The gears Z) are fixedly mounted as shown within a central recess in the worm-gear which forms a housing for the differential gears, and each of the hubs 7 of the worm-gearis supported on a roller-bearing consisting of a ring 9 affixed to the exterior of said hub, an outer ring it and the intermediate balls 2'. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

I two rings 9 and r serving as Patented Aug. 2, 1 921.

Application filed April 29, 1920. Serial No. 377,603.

outer race-rings h are each fitted into a ringsupport consisting of two semi-circular parts 7' and is fastened together around the ring it by means of bolts Z extending through lugs 972. formed on the respective semi-rings 7' and 7a, the line of division at between the semirings j and being arranged to incline upwardly and rearwardly, so that the semirings j are at the front of the bearing while the companion semi-rings 7c are at the rear of the bearing and are therefore removable downwardly and rearwardly.

The bearing-rings j7c are each supported centrally within the gear-casing by means of a web 0 formed integral with the member 7' and depending from a side-plate 79 extending fore and aft of the gear-casing and arranged at one side of the worm c. The rear ends of the side-plates or housing-members p are connected together by an integral ring 9, and the forward ends of the side-plates iv are similarly connected by a ring 1", these supports for the anti-friction bearings arranged at opposite ends of the worm. At the rear end of the worm, the bearing consists of a. non-rotatable race-ring s slidably afiixed in the bearing-support g and a companion race-ring t afiixed non-rotatively on the axle of the worm by means of a nut u. The forward end of the worm-shaft is mounted on an outer race-ring o removably mounted in the ring 1 and an inner race-ring 'w affixed to the worm-shaft, both the rings 4) and to being o-w is held in place by a cap 00 removably fastened to the end of the barrel 1" by suitable bolts andlarranged tobear against the outer end of the non-rotatable ring '0.

.lVith this arrangement of the bearings for the worm it will be seen that the worm may be withdrawn forwardly by removing the nut a and also the cap w and rotating the worm while drawing it forwardly to disengage it from the worm-gear cl, thereby permitting the rear rings 8 and t to be withdrawn rearwardly out of the bearing-ring while the forward bear ngrings o-w may be withdrawn forwardly out through barrel r. This disconnection of the worm from the remainder of the gearing may be accomplished, as is obvious without disturbing the worm-gear or differential gearing.

The main part a of the gear-casing is formed integral with the vbarrels and r, and

to the flange 6 formed on this member a of the casing is bolted the inwardly-turned flanges 0 of the axle-housing members cl. This axle-housing consists of two channellike members d, one of which is bent upwardly over the gearing and'the other of cal flanges g which are welded together to running longitudinally, centrally axle tubes 7, these flanges being In form ribs along the further secured together by rlvets 71/.

this way, a very light, stiff, truss-like axlehousing is provided, which housing forms a part of the gear-casing where it 1s arched around the gearing The rear edges of the channel members cl;

are provided with flanges j which are similar to' flanges c, and against these flanges is abutted the flanged edge of a cover-plate Z thisoover-plate being removably secured inplace by means of bolts on which extend not only through the flanges 7c and 9" but also through the front flanges b and c, to thereby rigidly but removably attach this cover-plate Z to the main casing. Formed integral with the cover Z is a cylindrical pocket at which embraces and supports as well as closes the rear end of the barrel (1, the interior of this pocket n fitting closely the cylindrical form of the barrel, so as to brace and support the barrel, thereby insuring ample support for the rear bearing of the worm; The rear side of the axle-housing being open, itwill be observed that when the cover Z is removed the gearing; may be readily inspected; and should it be desired. to remove the gears this may be done by removing the sections in of the hub-bearing supports, it being of course understood that before the gears can be taken out of the casing the axle-sections a must be pulled out axially in the usual manner from engagement/with the gears 12. It will be observed that the line of separation between thesemirings j and 7a is arranged to facilitate this withdrawal'of the worm-gear and the other gears connected therewith. I have thus provided a simple way of taking out all the gears from the axle-housing, including the worm-gear, without materially dismantling the structure.

It willbe observed that the front edges of the depending webs 0 are cast integral with the main casing member a in order to brace them properly, and for further bracing them they are connected to said main casing member by webs 0'. It is desirable ings, with a support also to form oil-troughs 10' along the top edges 'of the side-plates p and extending alongthe outer surfaces of the rear bearingsupport 9, to thereby insure an ample supply of oil to the rear bearing of the worm.

' It will be observed" that thebolts m not only fasten the rear cap Z to the axle-housing, but also the front cap or casing a and' that by thusdetachably and-independently fastening these casing-members Z and a to V I am enabled toentirely the axle-housing assemble the gearing in the divided ring-supports j-Zc before 7 attaching the mechanism to the axle-housing, thereby contributing materially to assembling the completed structure.

The nature and scope of theinvention havwormgear'and planetary gear ng oon stitut- 7 ing thediflerential, a casing for said gearing -ing been thus indicated and its preferred connected to the axle housing and embodying a front wall carrying bearings for said worm-gear and also supports for the rear. as well asthefront bearings of the worm, and a rear cover-plate removable from the casing. separately from said bearings, theiopenin covered by the rear cover-plate being sufficiently large to permit the removal of the worm-gear and its connected planetarygears while the worm and its bearing-supports are in their operativeposition. V

2. A rear-axle drive embodying a worm, a worm-gear and planetary gearing constituting the differential, a casing for said gearing connected to-the axle housing and embodying a front wall carrying bearings for said worm-gear and also supports for the rear. as well as the front bearings ofthe worm, and a rear I cover-plate removable from the casing separately from said bearsaid rear cover-plate being provided for said rear bearing-support of the worm, the opening covered by the 7 rear cover-plate being sufficiently 'large'to permit the removal of the worm-gear and its connected panetary gears while the worm and its bearing-supports are in their operative position.

3A rear-axle drive embodying a worm and a worm-gear and difli'erentialgears; a casing for the-worm-gear and differential gears,

and a worm-gear anddiflerential gears, a

casing embodying a main member'forming a front cover-plate and integral supports for said casing having a front cover-plate formed with front and rear worm bearingthe bearings of the worm as well as depending integral supports for the hubs of the worm-gear, removable cap-plates for these hubs, and a rear cover-plate for. the casing,

this cover-plate serving to cover the rear open side of the casing, the rear side of the casing being large enough to permit the worm-gear to be removed out therethrough while the worm and its bearing-supports are in their operative position.

5. In a rear-axle drive embodying a worm and a worm-gear and differential gears, a casing embodying a main member forming a front cover-plate and integral supports for thebearings of the worm as well as depend ing integral supports for the hubs of the worm-gear, removable cap-plates for these hubs, the line of separation between the worm-gear hub-supports and their removable cap-plates being inclined to facilitate the removal of the worm-gear, and a rear cover-plate for the casing, this cover-plate serving to cover the rear open side of the casing, the. opening in said rear side of the casing being large enough to permit the worm-gear to be removed out therethrough while the worm and its bearing-supports are in their operative position.

6. A rear-axle drive embodying an axle housing having an opening in which the differential gears are mounted, a front coverplate covering said opening and carrying a front barrel as well as a rear barrel, the latter being supported by a supporting member extending through said opening in the axle housing, said supporting member lying above the differential gears, a worm whose bearings are mounted in the aforesaid barrels, and a rear removable cover-plate.

7. A rear-axle drive embodying an axle housing having an opening in which the clifferential gears are mounted, a front cover plate covering said opening and carrying a front barrel as Well as a rear barrel, the latopening in said ter being supportizd by a supporting member extending through said opening in the axle housing, said supporting member lying above the diiferential gears, a Worm whose bearings are mounted in the aforesaid barrels, and a rear removable cover-plate having an integral pocket formed at its upper end adapted to embrace and support said rear barrel. I

8. A rear-axle drive embodyin an axle housing having an opening for the reception of the differential gears, a front coverplate for said opening afiixed to the aforesaid axle housing and carrying the worm bearing support to position the worm at the top of the differential, and a removable rear cover-plate aiiixed to the axle housing covering an opening large enough to permit the removal of the worm-gear and planetary gears of the differential while the worm and its bearing support are in operative position.

9. A rear-axle drive embodying an axle housing having a central enlargement partially forming a casing for the differential and being open at its front and rear sides, an axle extending through said housing and composed of two independent sections each movable endwise outwardly to disconnect them from the differential, a cover-plate for the front side of said opening carrying a front as well as a rear bearing support for the Worm and also a bearing support for the worm-gear hubs, this latter bearing having caps removable backwardly, and a rear cover-plate removable separately from said bearing supports and covering an opening in the axle housing large enough to permit the removal of the worm-gear and its planetary gears and pinions While the worm and its bearing supports are in operative position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

EDWARD L. KRAFT. 

